3-20-11

Zenia Perez arrives! She is a new trainee who just arrived to the country in March just around my year mark. Basically every year in March a group of IT volunteers come in and around May of the same year an old group leaves. This cycle continues going on and on until there is a certain level of sustainable projects and the country is completely free of volunteers. Clearly that hasn't happened yet. We are coming up on Peace Corps DR 50th anniversary. That may be really sad. 

It's crazy having a trainee visit because I still feel "new" to Peace Corps. When I go the email asking to host this volunteer I almost didn't reply because I didn't feel like I was ready but I am really glad I did because after the visit I can see how integrated into my community I am and how much I have grown living here. I am casi a dominicana!

Anyways, as far as I know, there are 17 new trainees in country who will have to go through the same things I did, living in Pantoja for spanish training, CBT in el Seibo for tech training then finally being thrown into their own site to figure out their lives for the next 2 years. Its exciting to see a new group, to have new friends and I am excited to see the next generation of volunteers who will watch me on my way out. 

I am sad to see the old group go. I have gotten very close to a lot of the volunteers and its sad to see the "seniors" leave and make us fill in that role. The older group is so good at managing things and having things run smoothly so it will definitely be hard to let them go. It's now my groups turn to fill in their shoes which will definitely be a hard thing to do. May 2012 will be my time!

So this past weekend was a really fun time. We had a special Moca night for the trainees then crashed at Heather's house after we sang karaoke at a colmado in her town. The next day Zenia and I went to my site where I showed her my "work." I showed her the club, liceo and ayuntamiento and we even got to chill at my donnas for a free lunch and hang with the neighbors. I feel like I may have been a bit harsh because I was trying to get her to talk constantly since she is a fluent spanish speaker but she was so shy. Then I talked to the volunteer I visited last year and she reminded me that I was the exact same way. I was quiet the entire time and really shy so now I understand. I think sometimes I don't realize how comfortable I am living here now so when other people get thrown into these situations I am expecting them to just adjust as fast as I did. And they will, it's still their second week being in country, after CBT they will really get the hang of this "Peace Corps" thing.

Best of luck to the new trainees! Soon you will be volunteers and begin this amazing learning experience. I honestly can't believe I am here a lot of days and I am thankful for everything and everyone. Being a volunteer in the Dominican Republic is tough but it's amazing.